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Court Jails One West Midlands 999 Hoaxer and Rules Second Unfit After 122 Fake Calls

The case shows how hoax 999 calls can drain scarce emergency resources.

Overview

  • Zaynul Shaffi, who pleaded guilty at Birmingham Crown Court on Monday, received a three-year sentence for causing a public nuisance.
  • A jury found Shahid Khan committed the acts, but he was ruled unfit to stand trial and will be sentenced at a later date.
  • Police say the pair made 122 hoax 999 calls over 78 days in 2024 and 2025, including a false claim that a baby was left on railway tracks, wasting about £100,000.
  • The hoaxes triggered specialist responses that pulled in firearms and drone units and sent nearly 20 vehicles and more than 30 officers to one scene, delaying help for real emergencies.
  • Detectives linked the calls using digital forensics across different phones and SIM cards, and messages showed the men tried to watch the chaos, even asking for video of a police helicopter.